Syllabus

The Nature of Media | COMM 251

Penn State Greater Allegheny | Spring 2018 | Online Course (Web)
Professor: Dr. Zack Furness
Office: 106B Main Building
Office Hours: Mon & Wed 1:00-2:00; Thurs 3:00-5:00; and By Appt.
Office Phone: (412) 675-9153
Course website: https://sites.psu.edu/comm251
Email: zackfurness@psu.edu  *Please allow up to 24hrs for a reply. If your email requires a long reply I may ask you to see me. If you have a question that is easily answered on the course website or in course materials, I will direct you there.
Text: Students who need to reach me quickly can do so by texting my Google Voice number, which I can access on my cell phone. The number is: 412-712-PUNX (7869).
Canvas – All grades, assignments & feedback are accessible via our Canvas website: https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1928730

Course Description
COMM 251 is a point of entry for students interested in critical, cultural studies of communication and the ensemble of technologies, practices, and content we call “media.” This course is designed around specific themes and case studies that highlight timely philosophical and political questions about the nature of media in the modern era. Topics include (but are not limited to): radio, TV, gaming, comics, zines, social media, music recording & distribution, Internet culture, porn, digital privacy & surveillance, culture jamming, and media convergence. Since this is a web version of the course, we will also reflect on both the experience of being in an online classroom and the claims that are often made about the relationships between media and education.

Credit Information
There are no prerequisites for enrollment in this course and it is open to all students across the Penn State system. COMM 251 fulfills requirements or elective credits in various communication(s) programs throughout the commonwealth campuses, including BA degrees offered at:

  • Greater Allegheny, Beaver, New Kensington, Brandywine (COMCC)
  • Erie (COMBA)
  • Altoona (COMAL)
  • Harrisburg (COMCL)

This course can also be used toward the completion of requirements for the Communication Arts & Mass Media minor (CASCM).

Required Texts 

  • Stephen Duncombe, Notes from Underground: Zines and the Politics of Alternative Culture. Microcosm Publishing, 2017. You can order this book directly from the publisher and I encourage you to take a look around the Microcosm website while you are there. Both the paperback and the ebook can be purchased on a sliding scale, depending on what you can afford or what you feel like paying.
  • Siva Vaidhyanathan, The Googlization of Everything (And Why We Should Worry), Updated edition. University of California, 2012. We will be reading roughly half of this book, so I advise purchasing it to make your life easier. You can find copies used through Amazon and it’s worth looking at each of these three formats since the used copies aren’t all lumped together.
  • Hillary Chute, Why Comics? From Underground to Everywhere. Harper-Collins, 2017. The e-book version is half the price of the hardback.
  • All other reading assignments will be distributed for free in PDF format.

Course Schedule, Website and Canvas
Our weekly schedule of assignments, as well as the quiz dates and important course documents, are posted on the course website. You are expected to check the website on a regular basis for updates and (possible) changes to our schedule. Students are also expected to familiarize themselves with the Canvas website for our course in order to know where assignments will be submitted and grades will be posted.

Technology Requirements & Info

  • Devices. Students enrolled in this course must have a way to regularly access course content from a remote location, whether that’s through a computer lab on your campus or by using your own laptop or desktop computer. Tablets should work just fine for this course, so long as you can access Canvas without any trouble, using one of the web browsers listed below. However, if you do have trouble accessing the course using a tablet, please discuss the issue with the IT Helpdesk on campus. Broadly speaking, students are discouraged from accessing the course using only their smart phones.
  • Web Browsers. Students should access the Canvas website using either Chrome or Firefox. Most functions on Canvas will work just fine on any browser, but the VoiceThread and Chat features on Canvas only work with those two web browsers, and we will be making use of both features this semester. I have not tested any tablets to know whether VoiceThread will work on them, so if you regularly use a tablet, please let me know if it works (and what kind of device you’re using).
  • Canvas Profiles. Please update your profile on Canvas. After you login, just click on Account and then click on Profile and select the Edit Profile button. Please post a clear picture of yourself so that your classmates and I can see your face when you use class discussions (it will appear next to your name when you post). After that, please edit the biography section to tell us a little bit about yourself. Note: When you’re done updating your profile, click on the Discussions tab and you will see a discussion for class introductions. Please tell us all a bit about yourself (feel free to just copy & paste what you wrote in your profile) and also say something about your experience with online classes.
  • Chat. At any time, students can feel free to take advantage of the Chat feature on our Canvas to ask your professor course-related questions.
  • Twitter. Students are encouraged to create a Twitter account for class if they do not have one already. See below for more info.

GRADES

Essay-Response Blog Posts (40%)

  • This semester you will write five essay-responses that will be posted to a public blog that you will maintain. This type of writing is a bit less formal and shorter than typical academic writing, but it should still be well-researched, sensibly organized and relatively polished. Click here for the assignment guidelines and instructions.
  • Click here for info about creating your own blog through Penn State Sites (though one can use a different blogging platform if one so desires). Students should have their blog created by the end of Week Two. More info about the blog will be posted ASAP, and students are encouraged to meet with Zack in person if they have never created one before.

Reading Q&A (35%)

  • Most weeks, students will be asked to submit short answers to questions posted about the assigned readings. These are not formal papers, but answers still need to follow basic parameters for college-level writing, i.e. your thoughts should be organized, proofread, and make proper use of citations & quotes. There will be 7 Reading Q&A’s and your lowest score in this category will be dropped at the end of the semester.

Final Project – Podcast, Video or VoiceThread (15%)

  • Students will produce a 4-5 min podcast, video or VoiceThread in which they use concepts and terms from the course to critically examine a specific media technology, text, or practice (that wasn’t already covered in one of our readings). This assignment can be completed individually or in small groups. The assignment is due on the last scheduled day of classes this semester (April 27) Saturday, May 5 @ noon. Students do not have to possess a strong background in audio or video production to complete this assignment. In addition to in-person help you can get from your professor, there will also be instructive tutorials for this assignment posted online.

Participation – Canvas Discussion Posts (10%)

  • This portion of your grade consists of your contribution to online class discussions. Discussions will open-ended, but your professor will often organize them around a specific question to keep things focused. If/when a discussion question is drawn from one of our Reading Q&A assignments, you can feel free to copy & paste statements from your Q&A answers in your discussion post (so that you don’t have to rewrite what you already stated elsewhere).
  • Each week, I would like everyone to post their thoughts on aspects of the reading, and to also comment on at least one other person’s post.

Extra Credit

  • Use your Twitter account to post relevant, class-related content online, using the class hashtag: #cm251z. Click here for details.

Grading Scale
As a general rule of thumb, the following grading scale shall apply to all assignments:
A = 93-100% Excellent (excellence consistently achieved)
A- = 92.9-90% Outstanding (nearly always top quality)
B+ = 89.9-87% Very Good (extremely solid performance)
B = 86.9-83% Good (better than average performance)
B- = 82.9-80% Respectable (demonstrates solid potential)
C+ = 79.9-77% OK (average performance)
C = 76.9-73% Acceptable (meets minimum requirements)
C- = 72.9-70% Less than acceptable (shows some ability)
D = 69.9-60% Passing (counts for credit)
F = below 60% Failure (does not meet minimum standards)

 

STUDENT SERVICES & RESOURCES

The Learning Center
Students in need of tutoring and/or extra help with study skills are encouraged to stop by the John H. Gruskin Learning Center, located in the Kelly Library, Lower Level.  To schedule an appointment, call (412) 675-9088.  Appointments are encouraged, but not required.

Center for Academic and Career Excellence (ACE)
ACE provides academic and non-academic services to students who meet federal eligibility requirements and agree to participate in the program. This includes first generation college students, those from low-income families, and students with disabilities.  The ACE office is located the Lower Level of the Kelly Library. To contact ACE, call 412-675-9491, or send an email to PSUGA-ACE@psu.edu.

Disability Services
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University’s educational programs. Every PennState campus has an office for students with disabilities. Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contact information for every Penn State campus: http://equity.psu.edu/sdr/disability-coordinator. The contact person for Penn State Greater Allegheny’s disability services office is Siobhan Brooks, 412-675-9454, snb106@psu.edu. In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation: http://equity.psu.edu/sdr/guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus’s disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations. For further information, please visit Student Disability Resources website: http://equity.psu.edu/sdr.

Counseling & Psychological Services
Counseling and Psychological services are available through the Student Health Service Office in Suite 105A, lower level of the Student Community Center (SCC). Appointments with the Mental Health/Personal Counselor, Drug and Alcohol Counselor, and Medical Doctor are scheduled by Campus Nurse Jennifer Ross. Her contact information is jur396@psu.edu, 412-675-9490. For more resources and information about Student Health Services at Greater Allegheny campus, see also: http://greaterallegheny.psu.edu/health-services.

Title IX – Protection From Violence and Harassment
Title IX mandates that colleges receiving federal funding provide gender equity, not just in sports, but in all areas of campus life, meaning that all students should be able to study in an atmosphere free of harassment, sexual violence, and gender discrimination. Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender are Civil Rights offenses subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, etc. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you can find the appropriate resources here:

Other Services and Resources
Links to additional services and resources for students are accessible through the Links page in the website menu above.

COURSE POLICIES (OUR CONTRACT)

NOTE: These policies are very important, please read them

1. Email
All students are required to make use of their Penn State email accounts. While I recognize that you all have your preferred modes of digital communication (social media, messaging apps, Gmail, etc.), you will still be expected to check your school email account on a daily basis, and I will use that address to discuss all class related business throughout the semester. If your email requires a long reply I will ask you to see me. If you have a question that is easily answered on the course website or in course materials, I will direct you there.

  • Here are some useful tips for communicating with your professor via email.

2. Chat
At any time, students can feel free to take advantage of the Chat feature (on our Canvas website) to ask your professor course-related questions.

3. Late Arrivals and Early Departures
Your professor finds people entering and leaving the classroom during lecture to be very unpleasant and distracting. Please be on time for class, and if you know that you must leave early on a given day, please let him know before class starts. Please make your visits to the bathroom and drinking fountain before and after class. If you arrive late or leave early (or if your excretory system presents you with an emergency in the middle of class) enter or leave the classroom quietly. If you are more than 20 minutes late, then please don’t come to class. Repeat offenders will find their semester grades reduced.

4. Assignments and Extensions
Completing your assignments is a vital part of succeeding in this course. Information about all course assignments – including weekly readings, papers, speeches and presentations – will be provided well in advance of due dates. All assignments must be completed on time for full credit and there is a limited window in which to submit late work. Important details:

  • Written assignments will be accepted for up to 3 days after the due date with a full grade deduction for each day they are late (the highest grade one can earn a day late is a B, the highest grade after two days is a C, etc.). Assignments submitted more than 3 days after the due date will not be accepted without permission from your professor.
  • Missing an in-class assignment due to an unexcused absence will result in an automatic F for that assignment – this includes speeches, presentations, quizzes, group work and graded participation activities.
  • Clear and coherent writing is an important factor in your success in this class. I urge you to visit the Learning Center on campus and make use of their tutoring services before you hand in written work. I will also be more than happy to look at rough drafts during my office hours.

Problems related to computers, printers, electronic devices, software and/or email are your responsibilities to address; they are not legitimate excuses for late work or incomplete assignments. Here are some easy ways to avoid problems with hardware and software can and do arise:

  • As a responsible student, you should always anticipate potential issues and plan accordingly. First and foremost, you should always keep backup copies of your papers. External hard drives are cheap and don’t require an Internet connection or third party support. Online storage service like Dropbox, iCloud, Google Drive, or Box are also great options. All Penn State students have a sizable amount of free online storage space via Box so there’s no good reason not to use it.
  • Another easy way to ensure the safety of your written assignments is to write them using Google Docs. Documents composed on Google Docs are saved in real time and can be accessed from any device with the connection to the Internet.
  • Regularly backup your computer and electronic devices using an external hard drive or an online storage service.
  • Generally avoid doing work on your smart phone. Beyond the obvious visual benefits of working on a computer or tablet, some smart phones (and some tablets) can limit the functionality and/or features of certain applications and course management systems you are required to utilize as a Penn State student – for example, comment attachments on Canvas are sometimes not visible on iPhones. Such problems can be avoided by simply working on a proper home computer or using one located in a campus computer lab. If you don’t have much experience operating a regular computer, it’s especially important to learn how while you are in college since you will undoubtedly be required to use computers in your post-graduate career.

5. Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner. Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania State University, and all members of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this principle. Consistent with this expectation, the University’s Code of Conduct states that all students should act with personal integrity; respect other students’ dignity, rights and property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts. Academic integrity includes a commitment by all members of the University community not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or deception. Such acts of dishonesty violate the fundamental ethical principles of the University community and compromise the worth of work completed by others. (Senate Policy 49-20 and G-9 Procedures. For more information on the University’s procedures governing violations of Academic Integrity, please see: https://handbook.psu.edu/content/academic-integrity-policies.)

A bit of clarity here about plagiarism is worthwhile given that it’s one of the most common violations of academic integrity. Simply put, plagiarism consists of using someone else’s ideas as your own in formal writing. If you use someone else’s ideas, you are expected to cite them. If you use someone else’s exact words, even if it is just part of a sentence, then you must put quotation marks around the phrase or sentence and properly cite the author. I may not be the smartest person in the world but I am a professional nerd who does research and grades papers for a living. For all intents and purposes, I’m the Bruce Lee of spotting plagiarism. Consequently, I strongly recommend that you do not try to pass off other people’s writing as your own because, to put it bluntly, I don’t mess around. In light of Penn State’s stated regulations and my own desire to administer my plagiarism policies fairly, regardless of the individual responsible for the offense or his/her intentions, my standing policy is this:

  • Any incident of plagiarism in a written or oral assignment will earn you an automatic ‘F’ for this course. I will not submit the incident as part of your official Penn State record, but you will most certainly fail the course at the end of the semester. If you wish to contest my judgement, you are well within your rights to do so according to Penn State’s Academic Integrity procedures, which are linked above. Please note that, should you choose to contest the charge and ultimately lose your appeal, the incident will be officially documented with the university. I don’t say this to scare anyone away from exercising their right to an appeal, I simply state it as a matter of fact and for the sake of clarity.

6. Grading Policy
Grades shall be assigned to individual students on the basis of the instructor’s judgment of the student’s scholastic achievement.  Grades are final and I grade exams and assignments based on your performance, not your intentions.  Effort will be recognized in your participation grade for the course.  I am eager to help you do well on exams and assignments before they are due.  Please visit me during office hours to ask questions when you are working on an assignment or reviewing material. Here are the circumstances under which I would change a grade: (a) if I have made an error, or (b) if I have failed to hold you to the same standard as everyone else. In the event that you feel you received an undeserved grade, you should make your case in writing to your instructor within two weeks of receiving the grade.  Finally, there are very few circumstances in which the professor will award a grade of “incomplete” for the course. If you feel like such circumstances apply, please discuss it with me before the end of the semester.

7. Non-Discrimination & Educational Equity
As a professor at Pennsylvania State University, I value equality of opportunity, human dignity, and diversity. In addition to the Penn States’s official nondiscrimination policy, and within the bounds of the course, I also do not discriminate on the basis of one’s personal opinions or political affiliations. In the simplest terms possible, this means that you do not have to agree with me in order to do well in this course. So long as you demonstrate an understanding of, and informed engagement with, the course material, you are under no obligation to agree with your professor, your classmates, or anything we read (you don’t even have to agree with yourself all the time). If there is something I can do to make the class more hospitable, please let me know. Be assured that I will treat students with respect, and I will promote a safe and conducive environment for learning. I expect all students to do the same. This means that, in accordance with college policies, I will not tolerate discrimination or harassment in my class, whether on the basis of race, gender, class, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, or physical ability. If you have questions about the school’s policies, please consult the Student Code of Conduct online at http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/conduct/codeofconduct/.

Consistent with University Policy AD29, students who believe they have experienced or observed a hate crime, an act of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment that occurs at Penn State are urged to report these incidents as outlined on the University’s Report Bias webpage.

Respectful Online Classroom Behavior
One of the ways in which college differs dramatically from high school or the workplace is that you are all here by your own choice. As tuition-paying adults who have made the conscious decision to take a course that either sparks your curiosity or fulfills requirements for your degree (or both), I presume that you want to be involved in class discussion and are eager to learn. In order to get the most out of that experience, it’s important for everyone to keep some of the following things in mind:

  • Practice good netiquette. If you don’t know what the term netiquette means, here is a useful primer. In a nutshell, it means that you need to pay attention to the manner in which you engage with people online, particularly if you’re not in the habit of doing so. Whereas face-to-face communication provides us with myriad opportunities to read other people’s body language and nonverbal cues in real time, online communication does not afford us such luxuries. This is compounded by the fact that all of us have spent years inadvertently reading tons of nasty online comments that have partly conditioned us to be more antagonistic and more defensive with our online behaviors. As a writer, you need to recognize how your statements, responses, and arguments can potentially be interpreted by people…and you should make an effort to write accordingly. Do your best to explain yourself, clarify your ideas, make succinct points, and support your positions. As a reader, you should be similarly generous with other people’s writing – give people the benefit of the doubt, don’t assume the worst, and try not to read too much emotion into peoples’ statements simply because they agree or disagree with you.

Reproduction of course materials (with a nod to Jonathan Sterne)

Students are encouraged to take notes and share them with one another. However, they may not be sold or otherwise monetized for personal gain by students or third parties (for instance, by for-profit note-taking services), without the professors expressed, written prior consent. Photos and both audio- and video-recordings of class proceedings are explicitly prohibited without the professor’s expressed, written prior consent. Under no circumstances may they be posted online.

Academic Calendar
For important dates pertaining to adding/dropping courses, withdrawal, etc. please consult the appropriate Penn State Academic Calendar.

Schedule
All weekly reading assignments (and links to the readings themselves) are accessible through the menu heading on the website, labeled ‘Schedule’. The schedule is subject to change but please note that your professor will not make any changes without giving advanced notice, as well as adequate time for students to complete the assignments.

Compliance
By staying enrolled in this class, you acknowledge that you understand and agree to abide by my policies, as well as Penn State’s official regulations (i.e. the accepted codes of conduct and academic integrity). Failure to follow the letter and the spirit of these reasonable guidelines can result in a reduction of your final grade, failure of the course, and/or other penalties set by the university.